Drama King Teejay's CORNER

In terms of cleanliness, hygiene, and body fragrance, Nigerian women generally outshine Nigerian men. If I had to put a ratio on it, I’d say it’s about 70–30 in favor of the women.

According to a study a while back, Nigerian women were rated among the neatest women globally and topped the poll in Africa. They were praised for their good body fragrance, from the perfumes they wear and the creams they apply, right down to how they care for their hair. They were also rated as some of the best-looking. 

Honestly, I can’t disagree; it matches what you see every day.

Most Nigerian men, on the other hand, don’t prioritize their appearance, hygiene, or body fragrance except for a few. A lot of guys feel it doesn’t matter, but it does.

As a man, the first thing that can attract a lady to you is often the perfume you wear, even before she notices your shoes, your outfit, or your haircut. A good fragrance draws attention and leaves an impression. 

A woman will often spend a good amount on her look and appearance just to stay attractive daily. A man, on the other hand, usually sees that as necessary only when he’s going out for an occasion.

What’s interesting is that some of these untidy habits men have often start right at home.

I saw this play out years ago with a mother who focused all her grooming attention on her little daughter when getting her ready for school. She’d apply perfume on the girl, comb her hair, and put cream on her skin. For her son, she’d just comb his hair and rub a bit of Vaseline on him.

When the kids walked around, I noticed the girl smelled nice, but the boy didn’t wear any perfume at all. One day, I jokingly asked the woman, “Why doesn’t Junior smell like his sister?”
I was shocked by her response. She said, “Perfume is for women. It’s what makes them attractive.”
“Really?” I asked. She said yes...
I was speechless and just walked away.
Parents, especially mothers, should teach all their kids , not just the girls,the importance of cleanliness. 

Attention needs to be given to the boy child too. Make him smell nice as well.

When he comes home from school after playing, bathe him just as you would bathe his sister. I’ve heard mothers shout at their daughters, “Go and bathe! Don’t you know you’re a woman?” But I’ve never heard the same said to a boy. Some mothers don’t even mind if their son goes to bed without bathing.

This constant focus on the girl child is part of why we have so many unkempt men in society today. You don’t groom your sons the way you groom your daughters, and then tomorrow you expect them to live well with their spouses.

No wonder some men come back from work, drop their bags, and sleep without bathing. They can’t cook for themselves, wash their clothes, or even wash their underwear, so they end up repeating wears.

So tell me, how are they supposed to smell nice living like that?

As a man, once in a while, visit the spa and get a body scrub. Look good and smell nice so you can keep attracting your partner. Marriage shouldn’t make you retire from the version of yourself that wooed her in the first place. As a father, step in with your son’s cleanliness if you notice your partner isn’t doing enough. That way, he doesn’t grow up to become an unkempt man.